CNC was founded in 1945 as an “intellectuals’ club” in which to exchange ideas. It was the brainchild of a group of monarchists who wished to defend a free culture.
Throughout the 50s and 60s it developed to become a democratic forum and by the late seventies, after the 25 April 1974 revolution, it began a new phase under the team leadership of Helena Vaz da Silva. It now included a range of activities addressed to a broad spectrum of the public – Sunday Walks, travel, training courses, international meetings and seminars, exhibitions, publications, literary and artistic competitions, prizes and grants, children’s activities, providing cultural services for schools, corporations and foreign groups visiting Portugal.

Mission and Objectives:

Currently CNC’s main objectives are to promote, defend, disseminate and register Portuguese cultural heritage, promote “cultural tourism” based on an integrated idea of tourism, environment, heritage and cultural itineraries, and to educate the younger generations on a feeling of global citizenship.
Its action can be summarised as a policy of “establishing contacts”, “articulating”, “making things happen”.

Main Projects / Activities:

GENERAL ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY WALKS
Visits to (re)discover the country. During weekends, prior booking required.
WORKSHOPS
Short (8 to 12 sessions) evening courses on various subjects such as arts, sciences and literature, given by well-known figures in each of the areas. Special prices for young people and senior citizens.
PUBLICATIONS
RELEVANT WORKS OF PORTUGUESE CULTURE
CD-ROM in Portuguese and English of “Relevant Works of Portuguese Culture” in each of the following areas: Architecture, Painting, Music, Theatre, Literature.
TRAVEL JOURNALS – “The Portuguese re-encounter their history”. Series of trips to all parts of the world where the Portuguese have been and left their traces.
PORTUGAL AND THE WORLD: THE FUTURE OF THE PAST: Pocket guide collection with which CNC wishes to remember and deepen the historical and cultural ties between Portugal and the various parts of the world travelled by Portuguese discoverers. Its aim is to provide an accurate, light and interesting report of the cross-breeding between such different people, and tread anew the itineraries left by the Portuguese and other Europeans who met in these regions.
We have already published issues dedicated to Indonesia, Timor, Morocco, Brazil, Japan, Cape Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe. India edition will soon be released. More info here
TRAVEL
THE PORTUGUESE RE-ENCOUNTER THEIR HISTORY - Series of trips to all parts of the world where the Portuguese have been and left their traces.
As a result of these trips, we produce travel journals, pocket guides and TV programs.
India will be visited by a cultural embassy of Portuguese cultural personalities from August 30 to September 10, 2014. More Info
GRANTS
CRIAR LUSOFONIA GRANTS
For writers from one of the eight Portuguese-speaking countries whose works are known at home and abroad.
YOUNG ARTISTS GRANTS
For Portuguese artists under 30. Projects can comprise creation, investigation or training and may be carried out in Portugal or abroad in the following areas: music, visual arts, literature and the performing arts.
OTHER PROJECTS
POEMS FROM THE PORTUGUESE – WWW.POEMSFROMTHEPORTUGUESE.ORG
Publishes translations into English of poetry written since 2000 by living Portuguese poets.
Each poet is suggested by another participating poet, and her/his poetry is introduced by the latter in a short note. This chain means that other poets are progressively being added. We feature a poet a month: either a new one, or one who has sent new poems to add to her/his own page.
Thus the dynamics of this website are driven by the poets themselves.
This website was put together following an idea of Guilherme d'Oliveira Martins, Chairman of the CNC.
THE FATIMA ROUTES
CNC decided to produce a nationwide plan to identify alternative routes to the major roads in Portugal with their heavy traffic. These routes will enable pilgrims to walk peacefully and safely to Fatima, enjoying the landscape and the silence. The same route serves Fatima or Santiago destinations, but in opposite directions.
FESTA NO CHIADO
Eighteen's edition of cultural visits, concerts, children’s gymkhanas, exhibitions, etc. in which the main objective is to revitalise the Chiado historical area of Lisbon. Partnership headed by CNC involving a large number of artistic and cultural entities based in this neighbourhood. Next edition in October 2014.
JORNAL FALADO
Monthly meetings on national and international news with guest speakers.
TOURISTICAL GUIDES ON WORLD HERITAGE
Upon request of Portuguese Tourism Office, Centro Nacional de Cultura developed these guides about Alcobaça, Batalha Monastery and Convento de Cristo, in Tomar. The guides are available at CNC.
E-CULTURA INTERNET SITE
E-cultura – www.e-cultura.pt – has reached in 2010 13 millions of visitors.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
MENUHIN-PORTUGAL
CNC is the Portuguese headquarters of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation network for development of the MUS-E programme aiming to reduce violence in primary schools through art education.
ALIAC
Luso-Indonesian Association for Friendship and Cooperation – aims to encourage relations, cultural and otherwise, between Portugal and Indonesia.
EUROPEAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION
CNC is the headquarters of the National Committee of the European Cultural Foundation.
PORTUGUESE NETWORK OF ANNA LINDH FOUNDATION
This is a structure integrating Ana Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for inter-cultural dialogue. CNC is a member of this network, which promotes a euro-mediterranean partnership, an intercultural dialogue, respect for diversity, and it tries to bring different people from this region together, aiming a better understanding of each other.
EUROPA NOSTRA
CNC plays an active role in this pan-European federation for cultural heritage based in The Hague.
CULTURE ACTION EUROPE - THE POLITICAL FORUM FOR ARTS AND CULTURE - EFAH
CNC is a founding member of this European network of cultural and art organisations and works to give culture a prominent place in Community policies.
NETWORK OF CULTURAL CENTRES INSTALLED IN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS
CNC is a founding member of this network based in Paris.
ENNHO – European Network of National Heritage Organisations
CNC Works with this British-based initiative to encourage partnership building between heritage conservation organisations in European countries.